


Stranger Than Fanfiction

by idrilhadhafang



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fans & Fandom, Barista Poe Dameron, Characters Reading Fanfiction, Characters Writing Fanfiction, Coffee, College Student Ben Solo, Crack Treated Seriously, Dorks in Love, Eventual Darkpilot, Fluff and Crack, Grumpy Armitage Hux, Hux and Ben Are College Roommates, Light Angst, M/M, Minor Armitage Hux/Phasma, Modern Doctor Who References, Poe and Zorii Friendship, References To Sleep Issues, Starbucks AU, Whovian Ben Solo, Whovian Poe Dameron
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-19 12:33:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22544407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/idrilhadhafang
Summary: A man with sleep issues walks into a Starbucks...and gets the barista as his boyfriend.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Ben Solo, Poe Dameron/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 6
Kudos: 11
Collections: Ginger_Puff’s Library Of Awesome Darkpilot Modern AUs, Trope Bingo: Round Fourteen





	Stranger Than Fanfiction

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: AU: High School/College
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> Author’s Notes: Dedicated “lovingly” to my sleep issues and nightmares. Also, sort of inspired by the wonderful “to boldly go” by KyloTrashForever. *Hopes no one minds*

The new customer enters the Starbucks on Resistance University campus, and Poe can’t help but notice that he just looks exhausted. It’s undeniable. The shadows under his eyes, his messy black hair — still really _great_ hair, Poe can’t help but think. Nice eyes too — and he has to keep himself from getting carried away. _You have a job to do, Dameron,_ he chastises himself.   
  
“You open?” the customer says. He has a nice voice too, Poe can’t help but think. Deep and pretty. Poe can imagine him reading one of those dry texts that Professor Kanata has them read for English, and actually making it sound involving. Maybe an audiobook —  
  
“Oh,” Poe says. “Of course.” A beat. “You okay?”  
  
“Rough night,” the customer says.   
  
“Sorry to hear that.”  
  
“No problem. Um, I’ll take the Alderaanian peppermint mocha. Hopefully it has enough caffeine,” the customer says, and Poe swears he can see a smile tug at his lips.   
  
“It does. What’s your name?” Poe says.   
  
“Ben,” says the customer.   
  
“I’m Poe,” Poe says.   
  
“Poe,” Ben says. “Interesting name. Anyone in your family a horror fan?”  
  
Poe laughs. “My mother.”  
  
They talk a while. Poe likes to think of himself as friendly towards his customers, but this man with the shadows under his eyes and an infectious smile and magnificent hair is already making him want to know more.   
  
“Are you done flirting?” Zorii says lightly from behind Poe. “Man needs his coffee, you know.”  
  
“Killjoy,” Poe says lightly to her, but obliges.   
  
He leaves one additional gift to Ben. More specifically, his number. He can’t help but hope that Ben will say yes to the suggestion to text him. Ben sees, and he seems taken aback...only to punch the number into his contact list.   
  
“I mean, I’m flattered,” Ben says. “People don’t talk to me much on campus...”  
  
“I can fix that,” Poe says, smiling.   
  
“Yeah. I better get going — I have classes later. I’ll see you then!”  
  
“Yeah,” Poe says. “I’ll see you.”  
  
Even as Ben walks away, Zorii stares at him in disbelief. “Poe...did you just get a date?”  
  
“Doesn’t have to be,” Poe says. His heart flutters despite himself. “It could just be friends hanging out...”  
  
Zorii snorts. “Yeah, and I’m the Queen of Scotland.”  
  
“Does that mean I have to call you ‘Queen Zorii’ now?”  
  
Zorii rolls her eyes.   
  
***  
  
Ben invites him to his dorm (over a text after, apparently, a really rough class). Luckily for the both of them, Ben’s roommate Hux is out on a date with his girlfriend, Phasma.   
  
“You seriously roomed with Armitage Hugs?” Poe says. A sigh. “You poor, sad bastard.”  
  
Ben shrugs. “He’s not all bad. I mean...we share a dorm and, well...” He trails off. “You know earlier, when I came in? I have...well, issues sleeping.”  
  
“Obviously,” Poe says. “No offense.”  
  
Ben nods. “Sometimes Hux hears me. He’s good at dealing with it. Even if he always has to be all ‘I’m not doing it because I like you, Solo’ and all...”  
  
Poe snorts. “That’s Hugs. Always has to put up a front.”  
  
“It’s not completely his fault.” Ben sits on the bed, sighs. “His dad...well, Armie doesn’t talk about him much, but they don’t really see eye to eye.” A beat. “I don’t have it as bad as him, but...”  
  
Hesitantly, Poe squeezes Ben’s shoulder. Ben smiles, if faintly. “Well, thanks,” he says.   
  
“No problem. So,” Poe says, “Is there a...reason for it?”  
  
“Nothing concrete. They just happen. Dad says I have a big imagination. Blessing and a curse.” Ben sighs. “I mostly write. Right now, it’s _Doctor Who_ fic.”  
  
“Davies era or Moffat?”  
  
Ben snorts. “Davies, for sure. Had to deal with one Moffat fan who said I wasn’t a ‘true’ fan because I didn’t watch all the Classic series, and I didn’t like the Moffat era.”  
  
“They were serious?”  
  
“Dead serious,” Ben says. “You’d think it mostly happens to girls, but guess there’s a first time for everything.”  
  
“Sorry about that. So...what are you writing?”  
  
“It’s not that original,” Ben says. “It’s basically some Doctor and Rose stuff.” He sighs. “Yeah, I know...”  
  
“No, she’s cool, Rose Tyler,” Poe says. “I think we hit it off after she helped that Dalek.”  
  
“Bad Wolf for me,” Ben says, grinning. “Man, if the Dalek Emperor was able to, he would have shit himself...”  
  
“I actually have a friend named Rose,” Poe says. “Rose Tico. Nice lady — not a good idea to get on her bad side.”  
  
“She might have bitten Hux once.”  
  
Poe laughs, startled. “Damn!”  
  
They both laugh. Somehow, seeing Ben laugh...it’s enough to make Poe feel warm inside, moreso than usual when he helps people. Tallie’s joked about Poe being the nicest guy on campus, and while Poe thinks Finn Windu fits that title more than he does, he won’t deny it’s flattering.   
  
“So,” Poe says. “Can I read some? Or...” He swallows. “You could read to me. I mean, you could read a cookbook and make it sound compelling.” _Good going, Dameron,_ he thinks.   
  
“I’d rather have the James Earl Jones voice myself,” Ben says lightly. “Or Christopher Eccleston.”  
  
“I like your voice.” Poe feels shy despite himself. “Really.”  
  
“Well, thanks. I like yours.” Ben smiles, and Poe feels his heart skip a beat.   
  
***  
  
Even as Ben reads a passage from his fanfic “Out Of The Void”, in which Rose Tyler doesn’t get sucked into a parallel universe in “Doomsday” (also known as the episode that Rose Tico threw popcorn at the TV at the screen watching), Poe can’t help but listen. He’s good, Poe thinks. Not just with that damn voice, but also his writing. He’s good at characterizing — especially Rose, and the underappreciated Martha Jones — he’s occasionally wryly funny...he’s good. (And Poe can’t help but feel his heart skip another beat when Ben looks at him in wonder when Poe laughs. It’s like Ben _likes_ it when Poe laughs...)  
  
“You like it?” Ben says, after he finishes. He sounds a bit tired. Poe can’t blame him.   
  
“Ben,” Poe says, “It’s...really good.”  
  
“Really?” Ben says. “I mean...I’m glad. Really.” A beat. “You know...I really like you. I didn’t think I’d...like anyone, but...we could just hang out sometime. When you’re not working.”  
  
Poe grins despite himself. “An evening with a gorgeous and talented and boundlessly charming man like you? No complaints from me.”  
  
“You’re quite the flatterer,” Ben says, smiling.   
  
Hux comes back to the dorm later, after his date with Phasma. He looks at Ben, one eyebrow raised. “Did I miss something?” he says. “Did Ben ‘Married To My Writing’ Solo actually bring a bloke home?”  
  
“We’re just talking,” Ben said. “He...well, he gave me his number, and...”  
  
Hux sighs. “I never thought Ben Solo would bring a date home. Hell must have frozen over...”  
  
“What?” Ben says. “I mean, don’t be ridiculous, Armie. We’re just talking...“ A beat. “You don’t — ”  
  
“No, you bloody fool. I just didn’t think _you_ would do it. Good on you.”   
  
Once Hux is mercifully out of earshot, Ben sighs. “All at once, you’re my boyfriend now.”  
  
“He’s just being a douche,” Poe says wryly. “But,” and here he becomes more serious, “I wouldn’t say no to eating at the food court with you sometime.”  
  
“Sure.” Ben smiles as he speaks. “I can’t object. I mean, you’re friendly, charming, kind, funny...I think we could give it a shot. Doesn’t have to mean anything. Just two friends hanging out.”  
  
“Yeah,” Poe says. He feels, suddenly, shy. “I’ll have to check my schedule, but...yeah.”  
  
***  
  
On one of the days Poe doesn’t work, he and Ben grab pizza, and they get to know each other more. It’s when they’re later taking a walk around campus (just because) that Ben says, “So...hypothetical question.”  
  
“Go for it.”  
  
“Hux seems to ship us.”  
  
Poe snorts. “He’s an asshole, he always was.”  
  
“Yeah. But I got the impression that you liked me,” Ben says. “I mean, I could be wrong, but...you don’t usually do this for your customers, do you? Give them your number and all that.”  
  
“Not really,” Poe admits.   
  
“I just don’t know why...me. I mean, assuming you wanted a date, you could choose anyone. I mean, that woman you work with...”  
  
Poe snorts. “Zorii and I are just friends, trust me. She’s my Donna, if you will. Zorii and Poe friends, if you get my drift.”  
  
“Oh.” Ben looks embarrassed. “I’m just not...I’m not the conventionally good-looking type. Not exactly Chris Evans.”  
  
“I can take or leave a Chris Evans type,” Poe says. “I want _you.”_  
  
Ben swallows. He looks, honestly, caught off-guard.   
  
"I mean,” Poe says. “I think it was love at first sight in that Starbucks.”  
  
Ben smiles. “I could say the same. When I made you laugh...I wanted to get that out of you more. I thought you were probably the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. In a Starbucks on campus or no.”  
  
“I’d say Finn’s giving me competition,” Poe says lightly.   
  
“You are beautiful,” Ben says. “Kind. Friendly. Adorably geeky. I haven’t had someone before, but...well, Poe Dameron, would you like to be my Rose Tyler?”  
  
“What?” Poe almost can’t process it. Then, “You mean...like your boyfriend or something?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
Poe kisses him, hard and feeling. He runs his hands carefully through Ben’s hair — seriously great hair, he thinks. Eventually, Poe draws away.   
  
“So that’s a yes?” Ben pants.   
  
“Of course. Though,” Poe says lightly, “Maybe we can take turns? You know, being the Doctor and companion?”  
  
“Yeah. We’d need our own TARDIS too. Though we can find acceptable substitutes...”  
  
Poe laughs. He could get used to this. He really could. And when they’ve graduated proper, they can travel the world. See everything with Ben, if they knew where to start.


End file.
